Military technical tango
Recently, against the background of talks about the rapprochement of Russia with the countries of Latin America, foreign media are increasingly reporting on the intention of the Russian side to strengthen military-technical cooperation with this region, in particular with Argentina. Numerous rumors about the recent sale of twelve Russian fighter-bombers Su-24 to Argentina have become a cause for concern for the British government. Subsequently, there was even a proposal to place on the territory of the disputed Falkland (Malvinas) Islands more Typhoon fighters [1].
Whether Vladimir Putin and Cristina Kirchner talked about the possible supply of Russian combat aircraft during the Russian president’s visit to Buenos Aires in July 2014, remains an open question. Moreover, the facts show that such cooperation could be a logical continuation of the warmer relations between Russia and Argentina, which in the summer of 2015 will be 130 years.
New Market in the New World
Argentina, like Venezuela, is not one of the arms markets that modern Russia inherited from the USSR. Bilateral relations began to develop only in the last decade due to changes in the local political landscape. The intensity of the development of relations with Argentina in recent times is evidenced by the number of high-level meetings. Before 2000, the leaders of Argentina visited the USSR and Russia only three times, and after that, there were two visits (Néstor Kirchner in 2004 and Cristina Kirchner in 2008) of the heads of Argentina to Russia and two visits (Dmitry Medvedev in 2010 and Vladimir Putin in 2014) of the heads of Russia to Argentina. The foundation for military-technical cooperation was laid in 2004 during a meeting in Moscow between V. Putin and N. Kirchner, who signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation. The treaty was ratified only two years later [2], and the first scandal over arms purchases followed. A couple of months after the vote in the Argentine parliament, the authoritative Argentine newspaper La Nacion paid close attention [3] to the words of the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, said after a meeting with his Argentine counterpart Nilda Garré. S. Ivanov allegedly said then that N. Garré had handed him a list of weapons that Argentina would like to buy from Russia. N. Garré was hit by a storm of criticism from the local, predominantly pro-American press. It did not help that a few hours later her press secretary denied the intention to purchase weapon in Russia, and the minister herself stated that the list included proposals for joint projects in the military-technical cooperation sphere.
www.airplane-pictures.net
MI 171 in the ranks of the Argentine Air Force
MI 171 in the ranks of the Argentine Air Force
Only four years later, during the visit of Dmitry Medvedev to Argentina in 2010, the first transaction on the purchase of Russian military equipment took place. It became the Russian high-quality and inexpensive Mi-8 helicopters (in the export version of the Mi-171E). A contract was signed for two cars with a total value of 22 million euros, and the purchase was made on the terms of a loan from one of the Russian banks. There were no problems and delays in fulfilling the planned contract, and already in November 2011, Russian helicopters became part of the 7th Special Operations Air Group aviation Argentinean Air Force brigades, where they replaced the obsolete Bell 212 helicopters. Now they are used to provide search and rescue and logistics work in Antarctica.
In 2011, the Argentine Air Force Commander, Brigadier General Normando Constantino, stated that the Defense Ministry is considering the possibility of buying more Mi-17 type helicopters, since two vehicles are not enough to effectively support the Argentine presence in Antarctica.
Already in March, 2012, at the Fidae-2012 air show in Santiago (Chile), Sergey Goreslavsky, head of the foreign economic and marketing department of the Russian Technologies state corporation, announced that Argentina intends to acquire “an additional Mi-17 party and is interested in Ka-226T light helicopters”. The official then noted that the timing of signing the contract for three more cars was being coordinated, and the director of the marketing department of Russian Helicopters singled out Argentina along with Mexico and Brazil among the main priority markets in the Latin American region.
However, Russia was expanding cooperation in local markets with other countries, and the contract for helicopters with Argentina was again postponed. A considerable number of problems in the economy simply did not allow the South American country to actively begin the overdue need to modernize its own armed forces. At the same time, no one has canceled the tasks of returning the Malvinas Islands and the struggle for Antarctica, but the state of the army hinders the successful promotion of the national position on these issues. For example, the aircraft of this country are armed with aircraft assembled in 1960-1970-ies. The ensuing war for the Falkland Islands drew off military modernization. As a result, six Mirage III, four Mirage 5 and four Israeli modernization Mirage 5 - IAI Nesher [4] are currently in service.
maritime-connector.com
In the near future, Argentina will buy
Russia has four sea class tugs
Neftegaz
In the near future, Argentina will buy
Russia has four sea class tugs
Neftegaz
Argentina is lagging significantly behind in terms of armaments, especially against the backdrop of the strengthening positions of not only Great Britain, which launched its newest aircraft carrier and in January 2015 informed the world of its plans to significantly strengthen Defense disputed islands (in particular, to replace the outdated systems with more modern Patriot BMC2016I systems by 4 [5]), but also its regional neighbors - Chile, which has the best trained and most modern armed forces on the continent, and Brazil, which claims to be one of the world powers and has become a significant arms exporter. In 2014, it was decided to increase the 2015 defense budget by 43% compared to the 2014 defense budget [6]. However, the spending does not include any allocations for large purchases of new equipment. 80% of the expenses will go to training and maintaining personnel; there is simply no money left for equipment.
Prospects
During the discussion of the Argentine budget for 2015 last autumn, the issue of replacing outdated aircraft came up in the local press [7]. Any decision by the government here will be a reason for criticism. When rumors about purchasing weapons appear, the government is criticized for ignoring social issues. If the statements about purchasing equipment are denied, the government is reminded of the “historical» weapons park.
The mention of Russia or China in this context causes heated discussion in the local media. Nevertheless, the intention to update the air force fleet and to launch the modernization of the air defense system is still present. Some hopes in this sense, the Argentines began to experience after the appointment of 2013 in the year to the post of head of the country's Air Force 1982 war veteran Mario Callejo (Mario Callejo). In October 2014, Argentina's Minister of Defense Augustin Rossi (Agustín Rossi) announced his intention to acquire the Swedish fighter Saab Gripen NG 24, which won the tender for the purchase of multi-purpose fighters announced by Brazil. They will be produced under the appropriate license in the territory of Argentina.
However, this was no longer the first such statement. If you believe the words of former Defense Minister Horacio Juanarena: “At first they state that they are going to buy used Mirage in Spain, then they will buy similar aircraft in Israel, but it soon turns out that there are no budget funds for this.” General O. Juanarena was right. Argentina now does not have the necessary amount ($ 3 billion dollars) for the transaction. UK reaction was not long in coming. London said it was blocking this deal, since Saab Gripen NG has parts made using English technology. The reason is the same - Argentina’s reluctance to recognize UK rights to the Malvinas Islands. The issue of upgrading the country's first Air Force and Air Defense, and then the rest of the troops is very serious, but there is no money in the budget for this, and relations with the West are spoiled. Under these conditions, the government may well go against the local political minority and consider the possibility of concluding contracts with Russia and China, which are ready to provide loans and discuss convenient transaction schemes. We are talking about Pakistan-China fighter-bombers FC-1 / JF-17 worth $ 15-25 million for one aircraft (depending on the configuration) or more advanced Russian Su-30 in the version that Venezuela purchases - Su-30МК2. Under the 2006 contract of the year, Venezuela acquired 24 Su-30МК2 with weapons, spare parts, technical assistance and personnel training for $ 1,6 billion, that is, $ 67 million was spent on each vehicle.
cuenglish.com
Vladimir Davydov:
Latin Caribbean Development Forecast
Americas to 2020 of the year
Vladimir Davydov:
Latin Caribbean Development Forecast
Americas to 2020 of the year
Over the years, negotiations were conducted with Russia on the acquisition of a heavy transport helicopter Mi-26, armored personnel carriers and air defense radar. Russia under current conditions could help Argentina to strengthen its air defense system, considering the possibility of supplying air defense complexes of the near (C1 Shell) and far-field zone (C-300).
In this case, we can talk not only about direct deliveries of such equipment, but also about possible offset programs that have become an integral part of military-technical cooperation throughout the world [8].
Even in the most difficult years, when funding for the armed forces declined, in Argentina, research and development work [9] was carried out. By transferring technical documentation or opening a joint venture for the production or repair of military equipment in the territory of the buyer country, Russia gains long-term benefits by expanding the markets and permanently “tying” the buyer to its product.
In Argentina, it would be possible to create a number of joint ventures in which Pantsiri would be produced (at present, negotiations on the establishment of a joint venture (JV) are being held with Brazil, but the agreement has not yet been concluded). The launch of the joint venture would help Russia to unload production facilities and would be mutually beneficial to both parties. This would significantly diversify the current bilateral economic relations of the Russian Federation and Argentina and increase the share of Russian exports of machinery, equipment and vehicles in the structure of bilateral trade with 8,5% (for 2013 year) [10].
It is worth noting that in Russia almost three years after the statement by the representative of Rosoboronexport at FIDAE (with the Spanish Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio, FIDAE - the annual Latin American aerospace exhibition in Chile) Argentina still remembered the additional Mi-171, saying that "we cooperate with Russia very intensively." Also in the near future, Argentina will purchase four sea tugs of the “Neftegaz” class from Russia. The amount of the contract is more than eight million dollars. Negotiations are underway on the acquisition of the Tumcha, Naftogaz-51, Naftogaz-57 and Naftohaz-61 [11] ships. The Argentine Defense Ministry plans to use the ships to support the Argentine polar station in Antarctica, as well as to patrol the southern Atlantic Ocean. Already by the summer of 2015, tugs can be placed at the disposal of the Argentine military and will be involved in polar waters, including for patrolling.
Time is running out
Military-technical cooperation is a very sensitive area, which directly depends on the political situation both in the exporting country and in the importing country. Very often, political preferences have a greater influence on the decision to purchase equipment than price, technical characteristics, or even the ability to gain access to technology.
Argentina, which today has a difficult socio-economic situation, is facing presidential elections in 2015. The current President K. Kirchner, according to the Constitution, cannot run for a third term in a row. She leaves, leaving the country in a state of technical default. The difficult economic situation has hit the well-being of ordinary citizens, significantly reducing their income. This led to mass unrest, demonstrations, and support for “kirschnerism” in the country fell sharply.
Elections that will determine the country's future political course will be held in October 2015, but the names of the presidential candidates are already known. Only one candidate promises to maintain the existing course, and three are in favor of its fundamental change, including in the international arena.
PRO leader Mauricio Macri, who has a chance of winning the party “Republican Proposal” (“Propuesta Republicana”), in particular, said that Argentina “should not be part of the Bolivarian axis and should return to the world,” noting that it would not support “excessive inclination” towards China and Russia, and also urged to intensify contacts with the US and the EU [12].
It is obvious that a victory in the election of one of the opposition candidates will greatly complicate contacts between our countries in the field of military-technical cooperation, and Argentina, under Christine Kirchner, who has declared Russia its strategic partner, will again turn its attention to used equipment from the United States, which can be purchased as part of mutual assistance.
This will significantly limit the military potential of the country and will not solve the problems of modernizing the air force, however, will they have any meaning without foreign policy ambitions?
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